A Quick One-Pot Cannellini and Chard is nutritious and delicious. The hearty dish goes well with bread which will soak up the flavorful juices. CINDY YAMANAKA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Buying and storing greens

Look for greens with brightly colored leaves with no sign of wilting or discoloration. They should smell fresh. With the exception of prewashed spinach (sold sealed in a bag), wash leaves before storing. Rinse in a tub of cold water; repeat if necessary until water is clear and free of grit. Shake off excess water or drain in a colander; wrap damp leaves in kitchen towel or paper towels and place in plastic bag. Refrigerate in crisper drawer up to 3 days.

Most often chefs have veered away from the traditional Southern approach that simmers greens for hours. Quick cooking is trendier, heating just long enough to soften the leaves.

Or they are featured raw in cold dishes. Chefs use the tender leaves of immature "microgreen" leaves mixed with other lettuces in salads. The leaves are tender and milder, harvested when only 14 to 20 days old. Baby beet greens, mustard greens, turnip greens and kale are often used this way.

Raw baby spinach is de rigueur as the main event in salads, often used without including another green or lettuce.

For home cooks, greens can be the centerpiece of quick-to-prepare family meals, especially if they are teamed with canned beans. Whether used in hot or cold dishes, greens and beans are a scrumptious match for summertime suppers. The flavors and textures play off one another. The soft, creamy beans are a luscious foil for the slightly sour taste and vegetal texture of the greens.

One-pot hot dishes take little time to prepare. A quick concoction of chard and canned cannellini beans is a perfect example. In a large, deep skillet, a little diced pancetta is crisped in extra-virgin olive oil. Garlic and dried red pepper supplement the small portion of tasty cured pork, and handfuls of clean-and-crisp chard are added. (Thick stems removed, the leaves have been stacked 5 or 6 at a time and cut into crosswise strips 1 1/2-inches wide.) A little chicken broth, vegetable broth or water is added and the greens cook covered for a few minutes. Lid off, a can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans) is tossed into the mixture and it is cooked long enough for the beans to heat and some of the liquid to evaporate.

A good splash of sherry vinegar. Salt and pepper. Voila, cut up some crusty bread and dinner is ready (recipe follows: see Quick One-Pot Cannellini and Chard). This dish can also serve as a side dish with grilled lamb or pork or serve with meaty, firm-fleshed grilled fish, such as halibut. Drizzle a smidgen of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil over the top of each serving, if you like.

Any of the greens can be used this way, but note that delicate leaves, such as mustard greens, turnip greens or spinach, cook faster than denser leaves, such as kale, collard or chard.

Delicious. Plus the greens are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid. The beans, a good protein source, are rich in energy-giving complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, zinc, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron.

Note that canned beans can be fairly high in sodium, so always taste the dish before adding salt.

The beans-and-greens theme works delectably in salads, pasta dishes and one-pot stewlike entrees. Here are five examples that are perfect for fast dinners in the warm-weather months ahead:

My father would have called this dish "slumgullion," a term he used with great affection for casual, one-pot concoctions that were inexpensive. He said the term originated in the homeless camps during the Great Depression. No matter what you call it, it is easy to prepare and delicious. If you want to make a vegetarian version, leave out the pancetta and increase the amount of olive oil to 4 tablespoons.

This tasty vegetarian stew can be served either hot or at room temperature. The recipe calls for baby spinach, but if you like you can substitute strips of stemmed chard or kale, but because the leaves are more leathery, a little longer cooking time is required. Sometimes I use half white beans and half garbanzo beans. I like to accompany the dish with piping hot garlic bread.

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